Europe’s sensational victory in the Ryder Cup was seen as a massive boost for the under pressure European Tour.

It was a comeback that has already established itself among the most astonishing in the annals of sport and must have come as a relief to victorious European captain Jose-Maria Olazabal, who would have serious questions to address had his side have been wiped.

American hopes of regaining the Ryder Cup at Medinah received a major boost with Brandt Snedeker’s victory in the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship while European pair Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood faded.

By Sunday night, Rory McIlroy may well be one of the wealthiest people in world golf.

All 12 of the US Ryder Cup team have qualified for next week’s Tour Championship, the final tournament on the PGA Tour’s lucrative FedEx Cup play-off series, but it’s a safe bet Europe’s Jose-Maria Olazabal was the slightly the happier of the two captains after events in Indiana and the Netherlands over the weekend.

It’s that time of year when European Tour golfers are perusing the rankings with greater interest.

Pádraig Harrington’s omission from the European Ryder Cup team ends a run which began in 1999 with his debut in the infamous Battle of Brookline.

Even though the Ryder Cup at Medinah is only a month away, massive interest has already switched to the identity of the European captain for the 2014 clash at Gleneagles.

It seems outrageous, but there is a strong belief a festering nine-year-old spat with the present European Ryder Cup captain could cost Pádraig Harrington one of Jose-Maria Olazabal’s two ‘wild card’ picks on the European team to face the Americans at Medinah on September 28-30.

Pádraig Harrington has his last chance of making the European Ryder Cup team when he travels to Kiawah Island this week in search of a second US PGA Championship.